How the power couples holiday
No one hosts a getaway like George and Amal Clooney. The pair have invited countless A-listers to their palatial villa in Lake Como, Italy, but last week they pushed the boat out – literally – for fellow power couple Barack and Michelle Obama. But amid enjoying unrivalled hospitality, there were some serious topics up for discussion, with the former President hoping to line George up for a crucial role in the next US election. If he can also earn the support of Amal, that is.
Ostensibly, Barack and Michelle had flown to Italy to attend a charity dinner thrown by George and Amal’s initiative, the Clooney Foundation for Justice. During their stay, the couple checked into the five-star Villa D’este, but were chauffeured to the Clooneys’ villa soon after arriving, naturally with an enormous security team in tow, before being served a light dinner ahead of the event.
‘Following the charity dinner on Saturday, the Obamas were invited back to the villa to have some downtime by the pool,’ a source says, adding that the pool had been hastily fixed after unexpected plumbing problems. ‘They enjoyed fresh Italian food served by his private chefs.’
It wasn’t all about recreation, though: Grazia understands that George was eager to get Barack’s perspective on US politics. He has already counted himself out of a presidential bid, for now at least, but is keen to work out how, and who, he can throw his weight behind. Last time, he backed Hillary Clinton, but his approach was criticised by many who found his lavish fundraisers out of touch with the everyday voter.
‘This time, George is keen to do things differently,’ our source tells Grazia. ‘Barack has been guiding him in terms of what policies he should be speaking out on, how he can get involved behindthe-scenes, and, of course, making sure George throws his support behind the right Democratic candidate.’
The hope is that where George goes, Amal goes too, lending authenticity and intelligence to the celebrity circus, thanks to her impressive career as a human rights lawyer. But she is apparently resistant.
‘Amal really admires George’s passion for politics,’ the insider says, ‘but she’s concerned about lending her own voice, as she doesn’t want it to distract from her legal career or let the platform she already has become overloaded.’ In addition, she is worried that celebrities can do more harm than good, and that the next person to take on Donald Trump should not be seen as relying too heavily on the A-list.
‘Amal feels they need to think more carefully about how much they should both be involved,’ the source adds. ‘She also isn’t in a position where she can devote large amounts of time to this with her already busy and demanding career.’ Indeed, there’s no room for distraction. Most recently, Amal took the first case against ISIS to court – leading to major security concerns – and has been recruited by the Foreign Office as a special envoy on media freedom.
No wonder they all needed to kick back with a poolside break…